Meeting at Beijing Sanfan Middle School

A student welcomes Nobel Laureate Professor Ivar Giaever to Beijing Sanfan Middle School on the afternoon of November 11, 2008.

With his opening remarks "How on earth did a simple mechanical engineer like me end up winning a Nobel Prize?" Professor Giaever immediately put the students of Beijing Sanfan Middle School at ease, when he spoke to them on the afternoon of November 11. When he answered his own question "The essential ingredient is luck," the teachers and students burst out laughing. His self-deprecating and humorous style of speaking won over the audience.

"If you want to be successful, you have to work very hard," the professor emphasized several times with a kindly voice. The lively and exciting gathering was more like a chat between a grandfather and his grandchildren than a meeting with a distinguished scientist. The professor told his story, and the children listened and asked questions.

Afterwards a student called Gao Ge said excitedly, "For me it was a dream come true to meet a Nobel Prize winner."

There were ten students from Singapore in the audience, exchange students from the Victoria School and the Cedar Girls' Secondary School. "It was so lucky to get the chance to meet a Nobel Prize winner face-to-face. The trip to China has been really great," one boy said.

One of the teachers said students at this age are curious about everything. "A face-to-face meeting with a Nobel Prize winner can really inspire them to take an interest in science and innovation."